US$9.7 million in revenue thanks to foreign students

The Central Bank poll estimates that foreign students in the Dominican Republic contribute US$9.7 million to the economy every month. The Poll on Foreign Student Spending in the Dominican Republic was carried out from 19 March to 4 April 2014 in 27 universities nationwide, as reported in Listin Diario. The poll sought to put a number to the hard currency that universities here are generating.

According to the poll, most foreigners were enrolled in medicine (46.2%). 75.6% of foreign students are Haitians, followed by US students (15.5%), Europeans 2.9%, Colombians (1.4%), Central Americans and Caribbean (1.2%), Venezuelans and other South Americans (0.8%), Mexicans (0.5%) and Asians (0.3%).

Haitians enrolled in public universities and some private universities are charged the same as locals.